30 Williams College Students Win Phi Beta Kappa Nominations

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Williams College has announced the election of 30 members of the Williams Class of 2009 to Phi Beta Kappa, the national honor society. Election to Phi Beta Kappa is granted to the top five percent of the Williams Class of 2009 at the end of their junior year.

At the end of the senior year, students in the top 12.5 percent of the class, excluding those already elected, are eligible for election.

The students elected at the end of their junior year (listed in name, major, hometown format) are:

Kristin E. Bergethon, chemistry, Dover, Mass.

Josiah R. Boivin, biology and women and gender studies, East Lansing, Mich.

Huajie Cao, computer science and physics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

Anouk B.C. Dey, political science, Toronto, Canada

Mary E. Haas, biology and chemistry, Fairbanks, Alaska

Helen C. Hood, biology and religion, Amherst, Mass.

Marius C. Iordan, computer science and mathematics, Bucharest, Romania

Katherine R. Ireland, economics and history, Boston, Mass.

Jeffrey I. Kaplan, philosophy, Paramus, N.J.

Tengjian Khoo, physics, Penang, Malaysia

Daniel O. King, mathematics and physics, South Berwick, Maine

Molly M. Klaisner, literary studies, Hartland, Wis.

David F. Kleinschmidt, mathematics, Glenburn, Maine

Madelyn H. Labella, English and psychology, Franklin, Mass.

Iris Lee, chemistry, Madison, Wis.

Patricia G. Ludwig, economics and mathematics, Charlottesville, Va.

Owen L. Martel, English, Honolulu, Hawaii

Caitlin A. McGugan, Chinese, economics, and mathematics, Niwot, Colo.

Edward S. Newkirk, mathematics, Charlottesville, Va.

Peter S. Nurnberg, economics and mathematics, New York, N.Y.

Natee Pitiwan, mathematics, Washington, D.C.

Susan A. Raich, history, Oakton, Va.

Sarah D. Riskind, music, Needham, Mass.

Anna B. Scholtz, contract major, Waverly, Iowa

Richard M. Stone, economics and philosophy, Cross River, N.Y.

Kenneth J. Taubenslag, chemistry and English, Wheeling, W. Va.

Hoai Chung Truong Pham, Chinese and economics, Binh Dinh, Viet Nam

Evan J. Weintraub, Chinese, Woodbury, N.Y.

Matthew C. Wellenbach, classics, Bryn Maw, Pa.

Kyle A. Whitson, computer science, Albany, Ore.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society was founded in 1776 as a nationwide organization honoring students of the highest academic achievement at the college level. Williams College is recognized for its excellence among the country's Phi Beta Kappa chapters, of which there are 270 nationwide.
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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